


some would call it, Fate.

by little_machine



Category: Angel: the Series, Fairly Legal, Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst, F/F, Fate, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-28 05:54:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8434201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_machine/pseuds/little_machine
Summary: An au where Kate meets Root's twin, Fred. Based in the Fairly legal universe. This is not a shoot fic, Its a kate/fred fic with some shoot in it.





	1. what is this feeling so sudden and new?

**Author's Note:**

> well.. first of all, thank you for taking the time to read this. I just want to thank my lovely beta @most_hozy thank you for helping me through this story. Please note that I changed Kate's obsession with the wizard of oz to wicked instead because I understand and love that story more.

If you asked Shaw to count the people she cared about, she would end up with a handful of them. Was she a huge fan of people? No. She did however reserve a few spots in her heart for some of them. Root was one of those few, but so was her sister Kate. Kate was the opposite of everything that Shaw was. Shaw loved black, Kate loved vibrant colors. Shaw hated dealing with people, Kate loved bringing people together. Even with so many differences between the two of them, the one thing they both had in common was a heart of gold. 

Root, on the other hand, was a little like her sister Fred. Even though Fred's skills could never match up to Root's skills -especially in cooking- Fred still lurked around Root's head when she worked in hopes of learning new things. Just like Root had her computer skills, she couldn't match her sister's science knowledge. Now, Root did understand some of it but sometimes Fred would go on and on to the point where Root wasn't even sure if her sister was - in fact - speaking english anymore. 

Fred used to take quite few trips, and so she would end up at her sister's apartment from time to time. It was one of those times that she first met Kate. It was a rainy night, she barely made it out of the cab and into the building without getting drenched. She stood by their door and knocked twice. Her knuckles were ice cold from the rain. She stood there shivering, hands clasped together in hopes that she wouldn't be out in the corridor much longer and her hopes were granted almost immediately when Kate answered the door.

"Oh god! Are you ok? Come on in" Kate stood there in one of her oversized sweaters, her hair fell on her shoulders - rendering her so effortlessly gorgeous. 

Fred took a few shy steps into the apartment and settled for standing by the little carpet in the entrance. She was more used to her sister greeting her, rather than who she logically assumed was Shaw's twin. She had heard about Kate before but they never actually met. 

"You look like a lost puppy" deadpanned Shaw who stood a few feet away from Kate. She was clad in her usual black sweater and black pants. 

Fred's eyed met Shaw's dark ones with a huge grin. She and Shaw got along pretty well, considering the fact that Shaw wasn't a people person. 

"Shaw!" The excitement in her voice gave Shaw a little smile. It didn't take more than ten seconds for her to ditch her coat and jump at Shaw to give her a hug. Shaw didn't usually do the hugging part - Fred does it for the both of them. 

"Fred, this is my sister Kate" she waved her hand generally in Kate's direction. 

"Kate," nodded Fred with a smile that Kate thought could light up this whole building. She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded back with a smile of her own. Shaw who stood there between the two of them narrowed her eyes at her sister. She knew that Kate tends to have crushes quite easily sometimes. Not that she would crush on everyone she met, no but something about this Fred girl got to her. Maybe it was her glasses? Her smile? Her face? Kate was pulled out of her thoughts with a jab to her side from Shaw. 

"Pick up your jaw, we got a dinner to eat" whispered her sister, amusement coloring her voice. With that comment and Kate's furrowed eyebrows and squinted look, Shaw turned on her heels with a wicked smile and headed to the kitchen. 

___

Root's cooking was probably one of the things that Shaw liked the most about her, aside from being 'hot' and 'good with a gun' of course. Kate and Fred tried their best to help Root with setting up the table. Shaw on the other hand stole a bit of food every time Root would turn around to give Fred and Kate something to handle. 

After an hour or so, dinner was finally done and set up. Shaw and Root sat down at their usual spots (next to each other) leaving the other two chairs empty. Fred took the one next to Shaw while Kate took the other. 

Root glanced at Shaw every once in awhile and ran a soothing hand over her back, and sometimes over the back of her neck. Shaw's reaction would mostly be an unamused face, her cheeks puffed with all the food she’d stuffed into her mouth. Kate and Fred exchanged smiles and small talks. Fred talked about her work and her research and Kate was more than fascinated with all of it. She explained the nature of her work to Fred who appeared pleased with the idea of mediation. When Kate stopped eating she kept listening to Fred (who was still eating) and her theories, they found out that Kate is more of a have fun without a relationship kind of person where Fred preferred to have to be in a relationship with someone.

"I'm just saying. It nice to just have fun! Flirt, talk, go out kind of fun. Nothing wrong with fun am I right?" Kate turned to Shaw who still had her cheeks puffed, she looked to Root in hopes that the brunette would have something to say but Root was actually on Fred's side on that argument.

"I didn't really believe in love or soulmates until this one " there was that wink directed at Shaw, and Shaw naturally rolled her eyes to the point where she could have easily caught a glimpse of her brain.

"I understand that but I'm more of a flowers and dates kind of girl. I appreciate the fun of it but I'm always looking for deeper connections," fumbled Fred as she stabbed at a piece of carrot that was left on her plate. 

 

Kate couldn't help but smile at Fred, for the fact that she cast a loving look over to Root and Shaw.

 

\-------

 

Mediation. What Kate does the best. Her job, a job that she loves with all her heart. Except on some days it was so hard to deal with some of the cases that she faced. From mediating divorcing couples, to corporations disputes, Kate had done it all. Except, for some mysterious reason, she hadn’t been able to focus on any of her cases lately. 

She sighed loudly - and quite dramatically - before laying her head on the table and over her client's files. She stared at the board she kept in her living room full of all the little things she needed to remember about her files. Her apartment was a really quiet one. Not that her sister's apartment was any different, but Kate lived alone so there were no people roaming around her living room or bedroom. 

A few knocks on the door pulled her out of her bubble. It was almost noon and Kate was sure that no one she knew would visit her at that time of the day. She looked down at her pajamas and wondered if she should change into something more appropriate. Not that her Wicked pyjamas would offend anyone - in fact her pyjamas t-shirt proudly said "Keep Calm and Defy Gravity" if that didn't scream strong woman, Kate wasn't sure what else would. She decided to go for it and open the door. 

"Hi, so um Root and Shaw both went to sleep and Root told me that you lived a floor up and I just-" the way Fred played with her hands like a child did things to Kate's heart. 

 

"You’re bored aren't you?" 

 

"So very bored!"

 

"Come on in," Kate ushered Fred into her apartment and closed the door behind them. 

The brunette glanced at Kate's shirt with amusement and Kate noticed it. 

"Wicked fan?" Asked Kate, trying to keep herself from squealing.  
"I haven’t actually seen it, but the idea of defying gravity feels like something really powerful" her hands gestured at the t-shirt. 

"Well if you have nothing to do we can definitely watch it? Or well… A bootleg of it at least," Kate tried to keep her enthusiasm about sharing Wicked with someone else down but failed. Fred agreed to it and in less than an hour they were both on the couch staring at the screen with a bowl of popcorn in between them. 

An hour or so into the musical, Kate threw looks at Fred to see what her reactions to certain parts were. So far she laughed and frowned at the exact moments that Kate always did. 

"So if I was a Wicked character, who would I be?" Asked Fred, amusement colouring her tone. She relaxed a little into the couch and waited for Kate's reply. 

"I would say... I think you’re definitely a Glinda," Kate tapped her chin thoughtfully as if it actually took her long to figure out. It's not like she figured it all out before they played the musical in the first place, not at all.

Fred's mouth formed a perfect 'O' in amusement. Glinda looked and seemed like a layered character. She was a good person, that was a bonus. She rode on a bubble? She was... Elphaba's best friend. It didn't take Fred long to get that Kate probably thought of herself as Elphaba, the wicked witch. She tried to push those thoughts aside and focus on the musical instead. 

When the musical finally ended, Fred stretched out only to see Kate looking at her with the most hopeful look ever. Like a puppy looking at his treats. 

"So? What did you think? All of it, don't leave any details out!!" Begged Kate, like it was a matter of life and death. 

Fred chuckled to herself before giving Kate a detailed analysis of what she thought of the characters and what she thought of the ending and that she really loved it all. What Fred did not expect was Kate launching forward and pulling her into a hug. 

"You are one of my favorite people now. It’s settled," she was so enthusiastic that Fred couldn't help the smile that took over her face. 

"No seriously Fred. I tried asking Shaw to watch it with me, and she tried but fell asleep halfway through it. I mean Root did a better job but she ended up paralleling the musical plot to the real world and how unrealistic it would be for the wicked witch to survive all of what she went through? Like it's a musical for God's sake" Kate was adorable, Fred really couldn’t deny the fact that seeing someone talk about something they are so passionate about always made her happy. 

"I mean if the musical had some guns.. Both Root and Shaw would have loved it, I bet!" The little brunette pointed at Fred, who just nodded her head seriously as if they just undercovered the world's biggest mystery. 

The duo started talking and moving on from subject to subject. Until Fred noticed Kate's folders on the table behind the couch and asked how was work going for Kate. The latter whined about not being able to find a way to bring the two companies who hired her together peacefully. Fred asked if she could let her in on the case and Kate was more than happy to. Half an hour into it, Kate did figure out a way to solve the issue with Fred's help. Before they knew it, they had resolved over five cases together and in full detail. Kate was very grateful for Fred's help. Little did they know that this would become a habit for them both. 

Days passed and Fred had extended her trip and decided to settle down at her sister's apartment for a while. She had to take a vacation at one point, and with her new fascination with mediation she thought she could enjoy her vacation and keep her brain occupied at the same time. 

 

On the other end of the apartment, Shaw was cleaning her guns. Root was right there next to her coding something on her computer. Bear was sleeping by the couch they were huddled on. Kate was in their apartment a few moments ago, picking Fred up. She said that they had something to work on, a new case or something. and that Fred was helping her with it. Now, Shaw knew her sister just as much as she knew herself. Sure, there wasn't anything romantic going on between them. Sure, maybe she needed help with those cases.

"Something smells fishy, Root" her voice was calm yet somehow humorous. 

"I threw Bear's fish scented treats away! I don't-"

"No! Not that- but those treats did smell awful. I meant Kate and Fred," she pointed accusingly to the ceiling. 

 

Root looked up to the ceiling then down at Shaw, comically arching an eyebrow. 

"Kate has a big fat crush on Fred" she whispered like a little kid with a wicked smile. 

 

"Well, sweetie... Kate has tons of crushes, on a lot of people. I wouldn't really think about it," Root laid her laptop next to her, reached down and scratched behind Bear's ears. 

 

"Kate gave Fred her copy of Wicked so she can read it," Shaw retorted.

 

The look on Root's face was priceless.

 

"Oh my god. It is serious," Root was well aware that her sister wasn't really dating anyone. She had dated a few guys before like Gunn and Wesley and had a date or two with a girl named Willow but that was it. Fred never seemed interested enough in any them to the point where she would try and understand what they are passionate about. Let alone agreeing on reading anything non-science related just for them. 

"Hey Sameen" whispered the brunette so sweetly. Shaw didn't even bother answering. She casted the brunette a look and waited for her to elaborate. 

"You know what you would look really beautiful in?" She purred like a kitten as she got closer to Shaw.

"Your bear suit?" She replied so sarcastically.

"No, my arms" whispered Root against her ear. Her arms already holding Shaw's waist. The brunette pressed a few kisses against Shaw's cheek and neck which were met with a not so amused look, since Shaw still hadn’t finished cleaning her guns. She did however return a few kisses.

 

-

"I really didn't love being a lawyer so I decided to go with mediation instead" Kate explained over a plate of food. She and Fred were having dinner, she ordered some tacos for Fred since the latter mentioned her obsession often. 

"Enough about me though. What about you?" The gentleness of her voice soothed Fred somehow. 

"Well I’m more or less a standard-issue science nerd. I have quite the knowledge in mathematics, quantum physics, and other sciences which probably sound boring-" without giving it a second thought, Kate covered Fred's hand with hers and squeezed a little, encouraging Fred to go on.

 

"Nonsense. Tell me more. Please. You are really passionate about what you do so please, go on" 

Fred of course went on and on about all the theories she came up with. Which ones of those were proven wrong and why. The little brunette was following along even though sometimes Fred would say words that seemed so foreign but then again - Fred was full of positivity and excitement and Kate couldn't bring herself to stop this little science nerd from gushing about what she loved.  
-  
Root was organizing her hard drives and coding a few things when her phone rang. She picked it up and Kate's cheerful voice greeted her back. Apparently the brunette was having a party at her house the next day and wanted to invite Root, Shaw and Fred. Especially Fred. Root hummed approvingly and said that she would try her best to make it with Shaw and Fred.  
-

The next day, night fell and Kate had stacked her apartment with everything a party needs. From drinks to snacks she had it all there. Root and Shaw made it first. Shaw made a beeline to the snacks table and busied herself with them while Root grabbed herself a beer and tried to help with whatever Kate needed. An hour or so later her doorbell rang and there stood Fred in a gorgeous red dress that barely covered the her knees. Her hair falling on her shoulders making her look even more gorgeous, if that were possible. 

Kate's heart skipped a beat at the look that Fred wore and with a hug and a kiss to the cheek, she welcomed her into the party. The guests eventually started showing up in the next hour and in no time, Kate's apartment was almost full with her friends. 

The laughs and chatter were loud besides the music that played in the background. It was a lovely party, everyone was either dancing to whatever was playing or engaging in some serious debate or argument over something stupid. 

The chatter and the music started to gave Kate a little bit of a headache so she decided to take a little time out in the kitchen. She made it in, opened herself a bottle of water and downed half its contents. She sighed, revelling in the silence. The music was barely audible from there. She smiled at the memory of Fred who was half drunk and dancing around like there was no tomorrow. 

The kitchen's door opened up and much to Kate's surprise, Root walked in. 

"Hey champ. What are you doing here? Hiding?" She teased as her shoulder bumped into Kate's smaller one on her way to the fridge. 

"Not really no. I just needed a moment," she said quietly with as a small smile played on her lips. 

"Fred was looking for you by the way. I think she wanted you to dance with her" Root chuckled as she recalled her sister looking for Kate and ending up talking to herself in the living room mirror. 

 

"Why can't I stay?" Uttered a completely drunk Fred with her arms circling her sister's neck. Root cast a look at Kate who nodded with a smile. 

"Let her stay the night. She looks exhausted. There are a couple of pyjamas in the drawer in my bedroom,” she waved them off and then went to check up on her sister who was still stuffing her face with the snacks while playing Angry Birds on her iPad.

After everyone left, Kate guided Fred to her bedroom. Her arm curled around the taller brunette's waist as she dragged her around. Thanks to Root, Fred was already in her pajamas when everyone left. 

Just as she was about to help Fred lay down, the brunette cupped Kate's face and kissed her. It was sloppy and messy and Kate's heart almost exploded. She tugged at Fred's wrists who didn't really fight her at all but instead softly smiled against her lips. 

Thoughts raced in her mind as she helped the clumsy brunette into bed and covered her. Kate could have sworn she heard her mutter "I liked that" before she dozed off. 

-  
This is not what Kate signed up for, no. 

The sunshine tackled her tired eyes. She cracked one eye open and it took her two seconds to register the weight of the body behind her, the arms draped over her waist, and the head that rested against the back of her's. 

She took a few breaths in. Over the course of the past few weeks, Kate never knew where she stood with Fred. Did she have feelings for her? Who wouldn’t? Fred was gorgeous, smart and confident in her work. The thing was that Kate never really got to finish that conversation she and Fred had during that dinner. Yes, she didn't do relationships often but if someone did catch her off guard? She would stop her whole world for that one person. 

Kind of the like situation she was in at the moment. 

-

The whole morning consisted of Kate roaming around her apartment trying to ignore Fred's hungover ass that was currently keeping her couch hostage. 

She really didn't know how to bring up the kiss. Should she even do that? Maybe it would be better to let it go unnoticed. After all, Fred was drunk and it probably meant nothing. 

 

“What are you working on there” grumbled Fred from where she sat on the couch. 

 

Kate looked up from the files she was working on, opened her mouth then chose to stay quiet instead. 

 

It didn't take long before Fred made her way over to Kate and her files. The brunette tried her best to ignore Fred's presence around her only to fail. 

 

Fred grabbed a file and flipped through it. She was used to this. Kate working, her helping. Except she sensed that something was off. Kate was not being herself at all. She thought maybe Kate was hungover like herself. Then again she didn't really remember anything from the night before. 

 

“Oh, that looks like an interesting case” whispered Fred so sweetly. Way too close to Kate. The tips of her fingers pressed against Kate’s wrist. 

 

She was startled by how Kate glanced at her all of the sudden. The brunette pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. 

 

“Can you please back off for ten seconds?” The hurt in Fred's eyes was obvious. Kate sighed again and turned her eyes back to her file instead.

 

“Okay… What… What’s going on here?” She asked. Kate was being awfully mean to her and as far as she could remember she didn't do anything to deserve that kind of treatment.

 

“Really… No idea? None?” 

 

She stared right into Fred's eyes, she really did look clueless. 

 

“Are you serious? Fred.. You kissed me last night.” 

 

Fred opened her mouth. She wanted to say something, anything and instead- 

 

“You know what, it doesn't matter really. I have work to get done. Please let me be.” Kate stood up, straightened her skirt and walked to the door hinting that Fred should leave her alone. At least for now.

 

Fred made her way to the door and left in complete silence. Kate would be lying if she said that that didn't hurt.


	2. I'm Not That Girl

The rocking of her boat was Kate's way of relaxing. When things got too much for her in the past, she always found her peace on the boat her father left her. She loved that boat even more than her apartment so when things got tough, she would grab herself a bottle of wine, a blanket and she would head to her boat. 

 

There she was. Head tipped back against the wooden wall. Eyes closed shut. Her glass of wine filled to the rim and still none of that could ease the knot she felt in her stomach. The way Fred looked at her. Was she falling for Fred? Of course she was. Was Fred falling for her? It didn't look like it since the other woman didn't react at all to the news of the drunken kiss and how she just left. 

 

Kate's shoulders fell. She sighed loudly because this is why she hated falling for anyone. The whole intense feelings that aren't always necessarily returned. Those ones hurt badly. She pulled at the blanket around her and reached out for her wine. After two sips, that knot was slowly becoming undone. 

 

“You ruined it.. All of it. Of course, Kate. What's the harm in having feelings. Feelings are nice. They are good” she raised her glass as if she was giving a toast.

 

“Until they come back and bite you in the butt… And I'm talking to myself... Great... Just great.”

 

By the time she finished her second glass, Kate heard a few stomps on the boat. Someone was out there. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with Shaw at that moment. The glass windows were shaded since Kate didn't want people to know she was on board. She would rather spend the days she spends on this boat alone. Just her and her glass of wine. 

 

Knock. Knock. 

 

“The hell... Who is there? I'm not here.” She replied instantly. Her eyebrows furrowed at how that sentence ended. She nodded inwardly. “Way to go self. That was subtle.”

 

“It's me. Oh, no. 

 

Kate reached for the door knob, knowing fully who was on the other side of that door. 

 

There she stood. For ten seconds, Kate took the time to study Fred's body language. She had some sort of paper bag that she held on to with dear life. She somehow looked small. 

 

“I come bearing gifts?” She pulled the bag up to her face and pointed at it apologetically. The smell of cheese and chicken attacked Kate's senses. Since she has been one wine mainly for the past few hours, a sandwich seemed exactly what she needed at that moment. 

 

The brunette motioned to her to come inside since it was freezing out there. If Kate didn't have to maintain a serious face at that moment she would have made fun of how red Fred's nose was. 

 

“So.. About what happened,” Fred broke the silence finally after she placed the paper bag on the table. Kate wanted to ask how in the hell did Fred find her but then she remembered that Shaw and Root probably told Fred about her secret hideout. Not so secret now thanks to Sameen and her girlfriend. 

 

“Yeah. About that... Let's just put it behind us and-” 

 

It took her a few seconds to realize what was happening. Fred was so close. Close to her face, her body and just her in general. Kate swallowed down and flicked her eyes upwards to see the look in Fred's eyes. As soon as their eyes met, Kate saw something in Fred's, but still she didn't take any steps at all. Much to her surprise, it was Fred who leaned in and kissed her. Just when Fred was about to pull back, Kate's arms circled her neck and pulled her back. 

 

After a long explanation on Fred's behalf the two were finally on the same page when it came to their relationship. Fred apologized for the drunken kiss explaining that she had those feelings for a while now and wanted to talk to Kate about them. Kate on the other hand explained how she wanted to make her own move and didn't really know whether Fred will return those feelings for her. 

 

“So, you sail?” Asked Fred as she ran the tips of her fingers over the boat’s control panel. 

 

“Kind of. I mean if you want to visit an island near by then I'm your girl otherwise I strongly advise you to book a plane instead,” Kate had to admit - at least to herself - that she loved making Fred laugh. That laugh of hers always seemed to tickle her heart. 

 

Kate ended up giving Fred a tour around the boat and when that was done they spent the rest of their evening on the boat's deck drinking wine and watching the stars. 

 

The duo left the boat headed back to Kate's apartment, since Kate had work the next morning, and even though she could have gone from her boat to work, the idea of going in last night's clothing wasn't very appealing to her.   
-

 

The brunette woke up in the same situation she was in a day earlier except this time she was more than happy to be in Fred's arms. She leaned back into Fred to be greeted with a kiss against the back of her head. Fred's arms tightened around her and she just laid there, content. After a few moment's brunette's hand ran the length of her arm slowly until their hands met. She tugged at their joined hands to plant a kiss against Fred's warm hand. Kate let go of Fred's hand to turn around and face her instead. 

 

“Morning,” her whisper barely made it through her lips. 

 

“Hey,” whispered Fred back. 

 

She placed her hand flat against Fred's shoulder tenderly 

 

“Do you think we should tell Root or Shaw about this? Us? I feel like this is somehow ours? So if you are ok with it I would like it to be a secret for a little while,” the way Fred's nose wrinkled when she made that face killed Kate. 

 

“No of course. If that's what you want then let's do that. I don't mind either way” Fred whispered into the little space between their faces before she leaned in and pressed a kiss against Kate's nose.   
-

 

“Is it weird that I find this adorable?” Wondered Kate out loud. Her eyes focused on the scene before her. She sank further into the couch and stared. 

 

“Nope. I find it adorable as well” added Root with a smirk. Her feet were up on the coffee table that laid before her. 

 

She and Kate were sat on the couch in Root's apartment. On the other side of the living room sat Fred and Shaw at the dining table. The two were eating what can only be described as a dinner for four people. Fred had a plate of tacos, a few hot dogs and some coke in front of her. Shaw had a steak and a few sandwiches laid out just in case the steak wasn't enough. 

 

Root and Kate's eyes were smitten with how Fred and Shaw were just there eating and drinking. Shaw would smile every once in awhile at something that Fred said. What was even more adorable was the fact that Shaw shared her food with Fred and vice versa. Sometimes when they would order from new restaurants. The duo would let the other try whatever dish they ordered. It was simply entertaining for Root and now Kate to watch them eat. 

 

-

To say that the week Kate was having was the worst in her life was quite an understatement. Nothing at work seemed to go smoothly lately and to fuel her frustration ever further, Lauren was breathing down her neck and was hard on her. Any other day Kate would have shrugged all of that off, chugged two cups of coffee and a redbull down and went on with her day but weirdly enough she was past fed up with the stress and she had only been at her office for four hours so far. 

 

Her head rested against the cool surface of her desk. Her forehead flat against it. She squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled loudly. The thought of the dinner she and Fred were going to at Shaw’s apartment was a little frustrating now. 

 

Kate tilted her head to the side and looked for something to distract her from her thought except she was met with more folders and more cases. 

 

Her phone buzzed jerking her out of her little bubble. A voice message from Fred. 

 

“Hi! This is a “smile for me” kind of message. This week has been rough on you, but I know that my little munchkin can do it. I gotta go find me an outfit for tonight. Take care of yourself ok? And eat something! You always get wrapped up in your work that you forget to eat.”

 

That was probably the first smile that graced Kate's face that week. She had been away from her apartment, away from Fred. The time she spent there was mainly for changing her outfit, hopping back into her car and off to work she goes. 

 

The night fell and the duo met at Kate’s apartment before heading over to their sisters apartment. Kate had just locked the door and was met by a gorgeously looking Fred who wrapped her up in the warmest hug she ever had. She closed her eyes and basked at the feeling of Fred’s arms as she held her close. The moment they both pulled out of that hug, Fred planted a kiss on Kate’s forehead which elected a little giggle from the brunette. 

 

\---

 

The sound of music was faint in the background. Kate had shed her jacket and hung it by the door near one of Root’s leather jackets. Her arms gently heated by the warm air of the apartment. The brunette’s eyes wandered to Fred who had a baby blue sweater on and a pair of tight jeans. Her hair fell on her shoulders neatly. The brunette noticed Kate’s gaze and acknowledged it with a wink in return. If closing both of her eyes was a wink. Kate still finds it adorable. 

 

The food has been brought, the table was set and everyone was cheerfully talking except for Kate who looked like she had a lot on her mind. The brunette left the table with the excuse of being thirsty and headed to the kitchen. Neither Root nor Shaw noticed Kate’s behaviour but Fred did so off she went after her. 

 

“Did you see that?” whispered Shaw between the two of them as she devoured another piece of steak on her plate. 

 

“See what?” Questioned Root, phone in hand. 

 

“Fred ran after Kate. Im telling you! Those two have something going on,” how Shaw managed to get all of those words out with her mouth full would always be a wonder to Root.

 

“They’re just good friends. You’re reading too much into it,” she leaned in and wiped a smear of sauce off Shaw’s face. 

 

“Kate?” the Kitchen was very quiet, save for Fred’s whisper. 

 

Her brown eyes trailed the length of Kate’s figure by the fridge. The brunette didn’t look all that well. The first thought that ran through Fred’s was to wrap Kate up and get her back to her apartment where they could watch Wicked and possibly help her mood improve. She approached the brunette slowly, her hands holding her waist so gently. The brunette’s heart broke at the sight of a tear running down Kate’s cheek. She reached out and wiped it, running the back of her knuckles against Kate’s cheek so delicately. She wished that this was the only tear she was going to witness but sadly it wasn’t. The brunette’s tears kept falling down her cheek so Fred did the only thing she could do at that moment, to hold her close and wait until she calmed down. 

 

“What is it? Is it work?” whispered the brunette. Her hand tilting Kate’s chin upwards to meet her eyes.

 

“Some of it yes but.. It’s just.. Work has been killing me lately but today at the office I found a few pictures of my dad and I didn’t realise that I missed him that much and I just-” Fred’s heart broke at the way Kate was unable to talk due to her tears so she hugged her close once more.

 

Kate’s eventually calmed down. They stood there in silence, comforting silence. Fred’s hands ran the length of Kate’s back over and over again soothing her and eventually calming her. Fred reached for the tissues near them on the table and dabbed Kate’s cheeks with a sheepish smile on her face. She fixed Kate’s hair and cupped her cheek after. 

 

“Thanks... I guess,” mumbled Kate. her voice stuffy and thick from the crying. 

 

“Anytime,” replied Fred in that same tone which got a few giggles out of Kate. 

 

“See? I told you, just really close friends,” whined Root. Her and Shaw had peeked through the kitchen door and saw the duo hugging. 

 

The moment their laughs and giggles died down, Kate leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Fred’s neck and pulled her closer to her. Her nose pushed against Fred’s cheek. Her lips brushed against the brunette’s cheek before she kissed her. 

 

“Jokes on you!” Jolted Shaw so enthusiastically as she punched Root’s shoulder at the sight of Kate kissing Fred. 

 

“Ok fine,” resigned Root. Her hand rubbing where Shaw had punched her. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her wallet and smacked a $100 bill into Shaw’s waiting hand. 

 

“And dinner's on me! I’ll cook you something,” Shaw was beyond amused with how confident Root was with the whole cooking thing.  
“Root, no offense but when I said dinner’s on you I meant going out for dinner and you do the paying,” she smirked as she slipped her newly, neatly folded 100$ into her wallet. 

 

Poor Root looked genuinely baffled. 

 

Root and the petite brunette ran off before Kate or Fred made it out of the kitchen or spotted them. 

 

\------

 

Sundays used to be Kate's least favorite day of the week because she always ended up either alone or in some bar drinking her ass off, which wasn't something great either because she usually ended up with a terrible hangover the next day. 

 

After meeting Fred though? Sundays were now her favourites. She and Fred would wake up, one of them would cook the other breakfast and they would either spend the morning watching movies or sometimes science shows. 

 

This Sunday was no different. There they lay, cuddling on the bed. Fred's hands ran through Kate's hair soothingly. The tips of her fingers massaged Kate's scalp so gently. To put it simply, Kate was in heaven... Well… Almost.

 

“Who is trying to ruin my Sunday?” She whined against Fred's shirt at the sound of Fred's phone. 

 

“It's just work,” Fred brushed the question off by hugging Kate closer which always did the trick. 

 

“Is everything ok?” She propped herself up on her elbow to look at Fred. The brunette's voice was off somehow, something was definitely wrong. 

 

“Uh” Fred scratched her head unsure of how to spit it out and then she did “I think they have an emergency at work and I need to fly back to LA.”

 

Her hand cupped the back of Kate's head and squeezed lightly. It broke her heart how fast Kate's face fell at the news. 

 

“Will you be out there for long?” Fred's heart fluttered at Kate's adorable pout. 

 

“No, I think it should take a week and then I will be back here before you know it.”

 

“Ok, fine.” Kate feigned annoyance and threw herself at Fred who welcomed her with open arms.   
\---

 

One week. Seven days. She could do it. She definitely could. Kate walked around her apartment as she muttered to herself. 

 

“Oh come on, woman up will you? It's only a week. We got this. We can definitely go through this.” 

 

That was until she found Fred's shirt on the arm of her couch. AlrIght, she missed her terribly and it'd only been an hour. 

 

She decided to work on some cases. That ought to shift her focus onto something else. Work was always her favorite, second favorite now. 

 

A day then two passed and before she knew it the week had flew by. She spent most of her days at the office working double time and then she would go back home, sleep it off and go back the next morning. 

 

It'd been exactly a week since Fred left, so Kate expected her to show up any second now. She wore her favorite purple blouse and a pencil skirt. She wanted to look her best for when her girlfriend showed up. Kate puffed her cheeks at the fact that she considered Fred her girlfriend.

 

The doorbell rang and she practically ran to it. 

 

Except the person who greeted her was far from her girlfriend.

 

“Justin?” She was confused to see her ex-husband who stood there with a flower bouquet.

 

“Kate.” Justin did that expression that Kate hated so much. The one where he is smiling yet apologetic. 

 

Meanwhile on the other side of town was Fred at a flower shop. 

 

“Can I get a bouquet of red roses please?” She handed the money over to the guy at the store who - according to Root - put together the most beautiful bouquets in town.

 

“Thank you,” she picked up the bouquet which was quite large, yet full of life and love. She glanced down at the bottle of red wine that she got for Kate as well. Excitement bubbled inside her. 

 

One more turn and Kate's apartment would be in her sight. Finally. The thought of seeing Kate again, the anticipation of her reaction to the flowers and the wine all made Fred even more excited. She never went this far to make anyone that happy but Kate was different. At least that was what Fred thought. 

 

She pressed against the key to Kate's apartment in her hand. The wine, the flowers, the smile on her face. The only thing that was missing was Kate, not for long though. 

 

Fred's feet suddenly jerked against the floor at the sight before her. 

 

Kate and Justin kissing. They were there by Kate's door, kissing. It appeared that Justin was holding Kate as well. 

 

Her grip on the wine loosened and it slipped right off her hand and onto the floor. She swallowed down the knot in her throat and turned on her heels. Kate's voice echoed in her ears. The first thing she did was book a flight back home.


	3. For good

After an hour or two of crying and ignoring her phone, Fred decided it was better to bury herself at her work instead. Except it didn't really work for long. 

 

It'd been a few hours. Fred still can't shake that image off her brain. Her office door was smacked open all of the sudden pulling her off her work and getting her full attention-

 

“I'm so sorry ma'am she went right past me” Fred's assistant sprawled apologies about a little brunette who barged into Fred's office without a second notice. 

 

“It's alright. You can leave now,” expressed Fred, very seriously. 

 

Her eyes now fell on Kate. Who stood there with a flower bouquet, different from the one Fred got her. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. She also looked out of breath, not that Fred noticed that. 

 

“Baby... Please let me explain myself here,” Kate's apologetic voice was met with a loud sigh, an unpleasant one at that. 

 

Fred dropped her pen against the desk. Linked her hands together and kept quite. She wouldn't even reply. 

 

“Look, what you saw back there? It's not what it looks like,” Fred's eyes shifted from Kate's to random files on her desk. That was the most over used sentence ever and frankly she wasn't even sure she wanted to know. 

 

“Fred, babe. Please. Just two minutes of your time.” Fred would be lying if she said that seeing Kate this broken over this, that tear that rolled down her cheek, the way her lips twitched, it broke Fred too. 

 

She sighed again and gestured for Kate to speak. She couldn't trust herself with talking yet.

 

“I was getting ready to meet you. I was ready and then the doorbell rang. It was obviously Justin because you saw that already. He begged me for a second chance, I said no and that I'm happy where I am at the moment. He asked me for a hug and I didn't see the harm in that”

 

By then Fred had started tapping her pen against the desk. 

 

“I did hug him - but I did not kiss him. He kissed me. I tried to push him off except he refused to let go. Until you dropped that bottle and startled him.” Kate's hand rubbed against her cheek to stop another tear from rolling down. 

 

“So... You didn't pick him over me?” Fred tried not to sound so little while asking that, except she failed miserably.

 

“No never! Why would I?” In two seconds Kate had made it somehow next to Fred's chair. 

 

“I'm so sorry. It's my fault for accepting that hug. I should have slammed the door in his face instead” Fred reached out for Kate's hand and pulled her closer. The petite brunette sat comfortably on her lap.   
“It's not your fault he’s a jerk, but yes. Slam the door in his face the next time ok?” The calmness in Fred's voice soothed Kate and her tears. She felt Fred's hand pulling at her head to rest against the brunette's shoulder. She laid there quietly. Fred reached around with her other hand and wiped the rest of Kate's tears off. The brunette held on to Fred's hand and pulled it close to her heart. Her nerves started to settle when Fred's hands messaged her scalp so slowly. She sniffed a couple of times but kept quiet. They both did. 

 

“Wait, shouldn't you be at work?” Wondered Fred quietly, hands still running through Kate's hair. 

 

“Well I promised Lauren to take four cases tomorrow instead of one.” Pssht, she could definitely do it. 

 

“Ahhh, will you though?” she whispered with a chuckle. 

 

“Probably not but hey! It worked so I’ll try my best and see what happens. The most important thing right now is that we’re good. We are good, right?” her hand smoothed over Fred’s shoulder tenderly. 

 

“We are. We definitely are.” 

 

++++++

 

The idea of keeping a secret wasn't really Shaw's favorite when it came to her sister. She thought about kate and Fred and the idea of them having to sneak behind her back and Root's. How exhausting that must have been so Shaw decided to tell them both that her and Root knew about them. 

 

As usual, a dinner was set. They invited them both and then gently told them that they knew about them being together and that-

 

“Wait, you knew that we knew?” Asked a baffled Shaw. Her upper lip twitched in shock. 

 

“Both of your heads were peeking into the kitchen. For a couple of spies, you two did a crappy job,” Kate stuffed her face with a handful of fries. 

 

Shaw looked sideways at Root who considered asking for that $100 back. Shaw crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at her sister. 

 

Said sister who fed Fred, kissed her hands and giggled at whatever it was that Fred said.

 

“Ugh... Can you two be gross somewhere else? Im eating here,” she faked being sick only for Root to laugh at her expression. 

 

“Come on, they are adorable,” her hand seeked Shaw's forearm and held on to it. 

 

“They look like an alternative universe version of us,” whispered Shaw to Root. Root chuckled and kissed Shaw's shoulder.   
-

 

During their long conversations when Fred was out of town. Fred explained how she never rode a boat before, Kate gasped and made sure that as soon as Fred made it back to town that they would spend at least one night on her boat. 

 

Kate's boat needed a little bit of tidying in terms of the state of her living room and tiny bedroom. Clothes were everywhere. Mugs filled up the sink and Kate had a lot of work to get done before Fred arrived. 

 

After she managed to clean out everything, she poured herself a glass of wine and relaxed on the deck. The sun was going down and the rocking of the boat relaxed her. She closed her eyes and took in the smell of the ocean. 

 

It wasn't long before she noticed Fred who knocked against the side of the boat. Dork. 

 

“Anyone home?” Her nose was a light shade of pink. She held onto what appeared to be a bottle of red wine. 

 

Kate rushed to help the brunette on board. As soon as Fred made it on deck. Kate gave her a little tour and they ended up in the kitchen area. 

 

“Wine?” asked Fred as she poured Kate a glass. 

 

“Yes! Please,” she chuckled as her hand wrapped around the glass that Fred offered.   
“It's a beautiful boat, much like its owner,” she smirked and peered over the rim of her glass. 

 

“Why thank you my father was a gorgeous man,” Kate clicked her glass against Fred's and drank while Fred almost choked on her’s laughing.

 

The duo ended up on the top of the boat after Kate dragged Fred around as she told her stories about her father and the adventures they had on this boat. 

 

Kate had placed a blanket on top of the deck earlier for them to gaze at the stars when the night fell. 

 

Fred lay on her back with Kate by her side. The brunette studied Fred's profile while Fred looked at the stars in awe. The latter turned to the side to find kate looking - no - staring at her. 

 

“You know... When I made it back to your apartment that day,” Fred started talking in a hushed tone. She gently laid on her side with her elbow supporting her head. Kate followed in suit.

 

“I was actually there to tell you something,” her hand sought Kate's colder one. She intertwined their fingers.

 

“Actually, two things. No, three! Three things,” she scrunched her nose. Kate just laid there and basked in Fred's adorableness. 

 

“The first was that I asked to be moved here to San Francisco and that they approved of that,” Kate's whole demeanor changed. She almost jumped at Fred and knocked her off the boat. 

 

“The second,” she whispered with a smile as she leaned closer to Kate “was that I got us both tickets to see Wicked live. I know you’re worried about Lauren, but I actually talked to her and she agreed to give you two weeks off in exchange for hiring Reed. We hire Reed whenever my company need any sort of legal advising or mediation.” 

 

That was it. For now at least.

 

Kate threw herself on Fred. Luckily for them Fred anticipated that and instantly held her before she threw them both to the fish. 

 

She peppered Fred's face in kisses and settled with her head resting on Fred's collar bone 

 

“You said there were three things... What's the third?!” her finger poked at Fred's jaw. 

 

“Well… The third is... How do I put this? Oh screw if I'm just gonna say it. I love you, Kate,” her arms held Kate a little tighter. 

 

“Ugh what did I do to deserve you?” Crumpled Kate before she kissed the outline of Fred's jaw and whispered

 

“I love you too.” 

 

And just like that Kate realized that her home wasn't her boat or her apartment. In fact it wasn't four walls and bricks, but instead a person and that person was Fred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really really loved writing this. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as well. I might do some art from it but Im not sure yet. thank you for reading it, all the kudoses and the comments.


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